Àmàlà is a staple swallow food popularized by the Yoruba ethnic group of Southwestern Nigeria and other parts of Yorubaland.It is made of yam, cassava flour, or unripe plantain flour.
Communal preparation of Amala for an occassion in the South Western Nigeria. Here, a group of womwn are seen preparing Amala with a turner popularly called Orogun in Yoruba Land and big pot popularly called Ape on a local stove called adoogan which is a three leg stand for preparing the firewood.
Àmàlà isu, the most common type of àmàlà, is yam-based and is an important source of carbohydrate. The particular yam species best for preparing àmàlà is Dioscorea cayenensis (Ikoro) because of its high starch content. Because of its perishability, yam is often dried and made into flour. The flour can then be reconstituted with hot water to form a paste or gel called kokonte in Ghana and Togo, and àmàlà in Nigeria.Àmàlà isu is made of dried yam.
Àmàlà lááfún is made from cassava flour. Dried cassava flour is known as lááfun in Nigeria and konkonte in Ghana. Cassava is peeled and dried under sun or in dehydrator anfterwards peeled and grind to smooth paste. It is particularly common among the Ibadan people.
Plantain flour (amala ogede): Another type of amala is elubo ogede, which is usually lighter in color. The low carbohydrate level in plantain flour makes it suitable for diabetics. Unripe plantain is peeled, dried, and grated into boiling water, creating a light brown paste when cooked.